Concrete post and adjustable fastener for wire fences.



PATEN'I'ED JUNE 25, 1907.

. A. J. TAYLOR.

CONCRETE POST AND ADJUSTABLE FASTENER FOR WIRE FENCES APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 7,1906.

INVEyUZ M f m WITNESSES.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED J. TAYLOR, OF WATERVILLE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOSEPH H. MOOLURE, OF WATERVILLE, OHIO.

CONCRETE POST AND ADJUSTABLE FASTENER FOR WIRE FENCES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 25, 1907.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALFRED J. TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Waterville, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Concrete Posts and Adjustable Fasteners for Wire Fences, of which the following is a specification.

My inventionrelates to a concrete post and fasteners for wire fences, and has for its object to provide a concrete post and attachable and detachable fence fasteners therefor, that are adjustable in the post as required for the attachment to the post of the line Wires of a fence, whatever the number of line wires, and however spaced. Furthermore to provide a strong and durable post that is adapted to detachably and adjustably receive fasteners that are complementary to construction of the post, and that are locked to the post by their attachment to the line wires of a fence, and when so attached are adapted to firmly secure the fence to the post. I accomplish these objects by the construction, combination, and co-operation of parts as hereinafter described and illustrated in the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a viewin side elevation of a post constructed and provided with fasteners in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross section of the same on line 30-20 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 illustrates my invention as applied to a wire fence. Fig. 4 is a top view of a post. Fig. 5 is a side view of the inner side of a fastener, and Fig. 6 is an edge view of the same.

In the drawings 1 represents a suitably reinforced rectangular concrete ost, which is provided with the lengthwise ovetail fastener groove 2, along one side of the post. A preferred form of post has front and rear side projecting portions 3, 4, and 5 respectively extending throughout the length of and integral with a central portion 6, which is square in cross section as shown in Fig. 2..

The front projecting portion is rectangular and of uniform width and thickness throughout the length of the post, and in molding the post, the dovetail groove 2 is formed along one side thereof and partly extending into the center portion, the edge of the groove nearest the central portion 6 being adjacent to the angle formed by the front projecting portion 3 and a side projection 4, the

outer edge of the groove opposite thereto in the side 3, being parallel therewith, and the sides of the groove diverge, at a suitable angle therefrom, into the central portion on the one side, and into the front portion 3 on the other side, and to a suitable depth in the portions 3 and 6, the groove in cross section geing in the form and located as shown in The front face of the portion 3 from the top and to near the base end portion is preferably provided with the corrugations 7 extending parallel transverse the front face of the post at close intervals.

The side projecting portions 4 are of equal width and thickness, and their outer faces are converged toward the top at equal angles from the base end, and the rear projecting portion 5 is of equal width and thickness with the front portion 3, and is tapered from the bottom toward the top so that the combined projections of the front and rear portions are equal to the combined projections of the side portions 4.

To secure the line wires of the fence to the post thus constructed, I provide the fasteners 8, one for each line wire. The fasteners 8 are formed of sheet metal blanks, being suitable lengths of stra metal struck up with a die to form the slig tly conveXed side 9 and the slightly concaved side 10, which are formed by bending equal end portions of the blank to diverge from the central portion 11 at substantially the an les of the sides of the groove 2, the conveXecI side 9 bein adapted to centrally engage the outer si e of the groove when the fastener is inserted in the groove, and the concaved side 10 being adapted to engage the inner side of the groove at its opposite side edges While its central portion is disengaged therefrom. The

ends of the portions 9 and 10 extend into and engage the angles formed by the junction of the groove sides and bottom. The fasteners thus formed are provided with perforations .12 and 13, which are located in the central portion 11 near the convexed side and equidistant therefrom, and one near each edge of the central portion.

The fasteners S are each provided with a flexible wire 14 of suitable length and strength which has one end portion looped on itself to form a stop 15, and then has the opposite end portion inserted from the inner side of the fastener outward through a perforation 12 or 13 of the fastener, according as the fastener is to be used for securing the upper or lower line wires of a fence to the post. Thus equipped with wires 14, after the post is set in the ground a fastener 8 for each line wire of the fence is inserted in the groove 2 at the top of the post, the fasteners for the lower line wires, having the wires 14 inserted through the perforations 13, being first inserted in the ost groove, and the fasteners for the upper ine wires, having the wires 14 inserted in the perforations 12, being next inserted. The fasteners thus equipped with wires 14 are movable along the groove 2 when held transverse the groove at right angles to the outer edges of the groove, and may be respectively adjusted therein at proper intervals for the line wires of the fence that is to be secured to the post. When thus adjusted the wires 14 are drawn outward along the side of the projecting pert-ion 3 and drawn tightly around the hne wires until they are drawn tightly against the front face of the post. The free end portions of the wire 14 are then coiled around the line wires which completes the attachment of the line wires to the post. As a wire 14 is drawn around the line wires, the pull of the wire on the fastener 8 being at one side of the center line of the fastener, the fastener is drawn out of its right angular position thereby wedging the end portions 9 and 10 of the fastener between the angles and sides of the groove and securely locking them against movement in the groove so long as the wires 14 are tightened around the line wires. The upper and lower fasteners being oppositely locked by the wires 14 and the line wires of the fence being locked at the intersections of the stay wire, the fence as a body, or the fasteners individually, cannot be moved either upward or downward, and any pressure either downward or upward on the line wires only serves to lock them tighter to the post.

By providing the front face of the portion 3 of the'post with corrugations adapted to receive the line wires, the movement of a line wire out of a depression between two corrugations is prevented by reason of the in-- creased tension on the wires 14.

It is manifest that should any of the fasteners of a post become broken, or if for any reason new fasteners are required for any post, the old fasteners may be readily removed and new ones substituted, and that by my invention I have made it practical to provide a concrete post that is adapted to have secured thereto any kind of wire fence, having any desired number of line wires and however spaced.

What I claim to be new is 1. In a concrete post and adjustable fastener for wire fences, the combination with a post provided, along one side and extending from one end, with a lengthwise groove having sides diverging inward from the outer side opening, and a plurality of fasteners insertible in the end of the groove and movable along the groove when parallel with the groove sides, and adapted to be locked in the groove when out of parallel, each comprising a plate formed complementary to and adapted to be retained by the sides of the groove, except at the end opening, and a flexible wire eccentrically secured to the plate and extending through the side opening of the groove.

2. In a post and adjustable fastener for wire fences, the combination of a post provided, along one side and extending from one end, with a groove having a contracted opening along the side, and a plurality of fasteners, each insertible into the groove at the end opening and movable along the groove in one relation thereto, and to be wedged therein when out of such relation, each fastener comprising a metal body adapted to be retained in the groove by the post, except at the end opening, and means to secure the metal body to a line wire of a fence and adapted thereby to wedge the body in the groove, substantially as set forth.

3. In a post and adjustable fastener for wire fences, the combination of a post provided, along one side and extending from one end, with a groove having sides diverging inward at an angle from the side opening of the groove, and a plurality of fasteners insertible into the groove at the end opening, and movable along the groove in one relation to the sides, each fastener comprising a plate having end portions angled complementary to the sides of the groove, and a central portion extending across the side opening of the groove and provided with perforations at one side above and below a center line, and a flexible wire extending through one of the perforations of the plate and looped at its inner end.

4. In a post and adjustable fastener for wire fences, the combination of a post provided, along one side and extending from one end, with a groove having sides diverging inward at an angle from the side opening of the groove, and a plurality of fasteners insertible into the groove at the end opening, and mov- .able along the groove in one relation to the sides, each fastener comprising a plate having end portions angled complementary to the perforations of the plate and looped at its 10 the sides of the groove, one of said end porinner end.

tions being slightly oonveXed outwardly and In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed the other inwardly, and a central portion eX- my name in the presence of two subscribing tending across the side opening of the groove, witnesses, this eighteenth day August, 1906.

and provided with perforations adjacent to ALFRED J. TAYLOR. the outwardly conveXed end portion and In presence of above and below a center line of the plate, WM. J. FRITSOHE,

and a flexible wire extending through one of JOHN F. MULLAsKEY. 

